windeity | RECOLLÉ INBOX

[GODDAMNIT.]

I think...this is your dream. So I think that is up to you? I'm not really sure how dream logic works. I lost track of you guys when I woke up last month. Either is fine. I remember enough of my house that I think we could jump a gate there?

[He sounds unsure but okay.] Let's get going.

I remember enough about L - about your place that I'd fill in the blanks. Rose and Jade's too.

[ thanks dave...anyway he's heading to the roof but checking over his shoulder on john every so often? apparently? ]

Whatever you say, dream maestro. [Up the ladder he goes, keeping up with Dave at a reasonable pace and not seemingly bothered.]

Seriously, I will be fine. It has to only be a dream, right? Or something.

Sure. Definitely haven't been warped real places before or anything...just do me a favor and try not to get hurt? I don't want to know if death is real here, especially when...

[ the backup body kiss thing may not work? so like. no.

upon reaching the last step dave hesitates for a brief moment before moving onto the roof. he slows down, and reaches his free hand back for john's arm almost without thinking about it, just...keeping john near him and behind him and within defensible range.

it's empty. but "empty" is never just that. ]

Hey, I was not here for August, remember? And this is probably different? I hope. Shit, we are technically kind of out of reality, too, aren't we? [There's an irritated noise.] I don't plan on getting hurt. You already saved my life once, I can handle the rest.

[Once they're on the roof though...he takes Dave's hand/arm because that weird feeling of being watched is back and that's not something he's comfortable with.]

...Dave? [The tone is suddenly unsure and unnerved and he stops walking.]

[ why not his hand. if john actually reaches for that, dave will give him his right hand, sword in his left. he can use either, but given a preference he always goes left handed for sword.

frequently he uses it with two hands, but he can do one. ]

...Unfortunately, I think he's already here.

[ they need to get away from the door, dave realizes. it'd be easier if he could get john at his back with a weapon, or an actual wall, but it's too easy to get penned in at a wall anyway; with bro, with lil cal, you have to always be moving. and dave can't move as fast as he can move with john there, because he can't leave john behind and undefended. john's a weak point right now. he drags john out further, hand too tight, and can't decide where would be best for this.

there's a flicker-flash out of the corner of his vision again and dave flips his blade around to guard against it. it's not bro, he doesn't think - or it isn't bro that he can see. there's a glimpse of the goddamn grin lil cal has and he hates that puppet so fucking much. some amalgamation nightmare of an adult man lil cal, with a sword.

fun times, and nearly impossible to see right up until dave has to start flinging his free arm around to block strikes with his blade, backing up a step into john and then trying to stand his ground. ]

[That's gay, Dave.

But yeah okay no he's taking his hand and he's eyeing the sword and he's aware this is somehow weirdly familiar? He doesn't say anything and he slides his gaze back to Dave carefully.]

"He"?

[He doesn't know Dave's thoughtprocess and this time he sees the flicker and whips his head. The blade of Dave's sword is out and guarding and oh my god.

Oh my god what the fuck is this abomination. Dave's battling with a sword, Lil Cal also as a sword and he almost steps forward before remembering haha swords sure are sharp.

He wishes there were something he could do. If he had anything on his person this would be easier, but he just got the sylladex a few days ago. He doesn't know how the thing works, didn't bother telling Dave because he does not suck at this (he totally sucks at this, holy shit) and he doesn't even know that his strife deck is there and ready. He racks his brain for anything that might help and flings a couple of things out of his sylladex while maneuvering,

There goes his fucking phone, so that's good. Great. Awesome.

But the bright side is that under his phone is something John has never seen before and suddenly launching out of the sylladex is Wrinklefucker.

So that's fun.]

[ IT IS THE EASIEST WAY TO KEEP TRACK OF JOHN EGBERT

there's an incredulous noise as john launches shit out of his sylladex and dave keeps fighting one handed and can't move as fast as he needs to tied down to john. it's clear he's having trouble with the speed because speed stats and acrobatics are where he shines: sticking to one place to keep an eye on one person or one thing doesn't help him do well.

it's part of why he fucked up in game over, honestly. ]

Now's not the time for a sylladex malfunction, dude! [ or maybe it is, but it doesn't seem to stop the puppet-man. ] - Jesus fucking christ you still haven't mastered fetch modus it's literally - shit!

[ okay he can't really bitch and defend at the same time and he can't go on attack as long as he's got john stationed by the hand so. ]

[The last thing they need is dead Daves and dead Johns and he knows he's slowing Dave down. He doesn't want to be a cause for injury and so he pulls on Dave's hand to try and get him to let go, reaching for Wrinklefucker with his free one.]

Shut up, I have no idea how to use this thing! [Yeah, he's still stronger so he rips away from Dave to grab his hammer before immediately gravitating back.] A hammer? Are you kidding me? Why the fuck do you get a sword and I get a hammer?

[Dave called him the team powerhouse, but this was not what he thought he meant?] And what the fuck is this thing? [He means Cal, but it could very well be in relation to Wrinklefucker, too.]

John! [ he promised and now he is Breaking his promise - no okay he's back but it was still enough of a break for lil-cal-bro-whatever to go to attack.

without his hand in john's, though, dave can flashstep: he does so, and jumps back after the clash, knowing full well he doesn't have the physical edge on the puppet man here either. why is everyone stronger than him. ]

What, like it's my fault you allotted a hammer to your strife specibus? [ I MEAN - ] Dude, you have none of your shit, can you just - oh my god you have got to be kidding me.

[ what if

WHAT IF

we also add some smuppet/imp combo enemies to this entourage. ]

Sorry! [He's wielding the hammer and he has literally no idea what the fuck is going on. He sticks as close as he can but he's also swinging like a baseball bat to aim a hit at the puppet.]

We can argue about this stupid thing later, what shit am I missing? Because if you mean my ability to fly, yes, I know that!

[...but cool. That's good. That's nice.]

...puppets. Definitely not cool. Think we can beat 'em?

Your ability to use your damn hammer right would be a start, classpect bullshit a strong middle, and goddamned divinity a finish!

[ but fine. john has a weapon and dave slides back towards him, just taking up a position at john’s back; he’s terrified john doesn’t have enough back for this but he can at least try to trust his back to his best friend. it gives him blind spot coverage. ]

Fuck you, puppets are chill. These fuckers ain’t though - try to focus on the slower ones. I’ll try to handle Cal.

It's a hammer! How hard can it be to use a hammer? [He narrows his eyes though because what the fuck is classpect bullshit but divinity--] Holy shit, are we gods? Is that--fuck, never mind, we can talk about this later.

[He's also terrified so that makes two of them. But he's holding his ground and they're back to back slowly being surrounded by smuppet imps and Cal zipping around.]

Uh huh, sure, whatever. I can do that. Try not to get impaled? I kind of like you alive.

I’m not gonna get impaled, give me some credit. [ like he definitely has gotten impaled before it’s fiene this is fine probably.

but to fight the puppet thing he’ll have to break away from john a little to keep pace while still sticking in range. it’s weird being this worried when Before he would have just assumed egbert was leagues ahead of anything he could do.

it won’t take him long to start assuming that again. ]

You're not giving me credit, so! [Seriously this is the dumbest time to pick to be stubborn. The smuppet imps grow closer and he's trying to keep an eye on Cal before he nods firmly.] We can do this if you just trust me a little.

[He has zero idea what he's doing, but he's going to swing and hope for the best, mostly.]

If I have to try to kiss you by the end of this I'm going to rekill you. [ is his annoyed counterpoint to that. it's mostly muttered.

...

and anyway it's the strilondes who usually needed that resuscitation.

but all right. give john some credit. with an annoyed glance sideways (it's concern and panic, but details) dave focuses in on the battle, automatically reaching for his sense of time. it's weird (asleep? outside of time? who the fuck knows, but he's unwilling to accept death if someone else would have to, too) and he doesn't start a loop but he picks up his speed to match bro-cal. ]

Why would you--I am not into necrophilia, and I think we need to have a long discussion about your dead obsession when we wake up.

[But okay. He weighs the hammer before he realizes he needs both hands, wrapping them firmly around the handle and nodding. The moment Dave unleashes a burst of speed John launches at some of the imps, immediately swinging the hammer back and forth. To his surprise, it bounces and he finds himself missing his targets at first. It bounces in his arms a few times before he gets the clue that it needs to move back and forth like a seesaw and he turns, holding it more like an axe than a baseball bat and launching into a volley of attacks. Hopefully that will buy Dave enough time for the puppet-man.]

[ well, kind of. the issue here is this is very much dave's nightmare. in real life and in his dreams, he never stood a shot in hell against bro, or cal. a combination remix of the two in the place where he never wins means he can keep pace, barely, but it's not quite enough.

he reaches for his sense of time to pull out a loop and swears when it just doesn't work. is that because it's a dream or because it's impossible to win?

it has to be at least possible to get out of this alive, even if he gets his ass kicked, and there's not a curse when he gets cut the first time but simply an adjustment of form to accommodate the injury. ]

[He's going pretty bounce-happy with Wrinklefucker now that he's getting in the groove, brutalizing imps one after the other. He doesn't even notice that Dave gets cut the first time and he's using the skills he's honed in his real life and the hammer to take care of the smaller guys. An imp gets smashed here. Another one gets booted off the roof there. The hammer itself charges up and a large flare of green light overtakes the roof and obliterates a large wave of monsters before he pays attention to Dave again.]

Dude! [Dave are you bleeding, are you okay, where the fuck is Cal-bro because John's already zipping back to Dave's side for defense.] How do we beat that?

- I don't know! [ he doesn't even care about the cut, or any of the other cuts he may have gotten since. that's not the scary part. ] I never do!

[ and that isn't the scary part either? he's used to being resigned to a loss, always. what he's not used to is someone else having to take part in that loss. ]

I don't know how to change it! [ it's his nightmare, and he's never beaten it. hell, he's never even beaten bro, which is half as whatever as this weird amalgamation puppet thing. ] You have to try to wake up.

[ ...........because if he's here alone at least only he gets beat up? ]

[He gives him an incredulous stare, clenching his jaw and gripping the hammer tighter.]

And just leave you here? I do not think so! There has to be a way to break the cycle, Dave. It's just a dream. [...] If you wake up, we can both get out of here, I bet. [He moves suddenly, swinging Wrinklefucker and knocking another imp off of the roof.]

For once in your life will you please be a little less noble and a little more - [ he breaks off as he fucks up again, dodging some of bro-cal's stupid shuriken (why) but missing the follow up. it's not lethal so it gets nothing more than an annoyed noise as he shifts his sword to his other hand, deciding his left arm is a loss for the time being. ]

Fine, how the fuck do you wake someone up!

No. Whatever the fuck you are suggesting, the answer is no! We are doing this together. [There's a startled sound as Bro-Cal attacks again and he's ready to jump ahead but Dave's already hit. The situation's getting worse especially now that Dave's down an arm and he shakes his head frantically.]

Gee, I don't know, click your heels together? [It's sarcastic but he's scared and stressed, weighing the hammer in his hands.] There has to be something to jar you awake. Think awake thoughts? [He glances at the roof's edge though.] ...what if we jump?

Absolutely not. [ because that might kill john, if any of this sticks.

- but if he just has to wake up to get john out of here, and if they have to gamble with someone's life - ]

Close your eyes for a second.

[Uh. He looks uncertain again, gaze sharp and digging his heels into the ground.]

...Dave? [An uncertain tone, too.] What are you planning?

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